mettlesome

adjective

ˈme-tᵊl-səm How to pronounce mettlesome (audio)
Definition of mettlesomenext
1
as in energetic
having much high-spirited energy and movement the mettlesome opening dance number got the audience all jazzed up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spirited
marked by a lively display of strong feeling a mettlesome debate on the teaching of evolution in the schools

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mettlesome He may have been provoked into battle by the ruler of Cebu, who was using Magellan’s troops to rid himself of a mettlesome chieftain known to raid the trade ships that navigated the waters in and around the islands. — Tim Carman, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mettlesome
  1. energetic
  2. spirited
  3. animated
  4. fiery
  5. lively
  6. spunky
  7. animate
  8. brisk
Adjective
  • Laser cooling slowed the atoms, and evaporative cooling removed the most energetic ones, allowing the remaining atoms to form a condensate inside an optical dipole trap.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The energetic forward missed the first nine games of the season because of swelling in his left knee.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of energetic
Adjective
  • The end result is spirited but uneven, a show wherein some very big singing nearly succeeds in drowning out needling plot contrivances and characterizations as thin as a wanted poster.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The results again were heartening, with Conwell at times forging a spirited undersized backcourt chemistry with starting point guard Davion Mitchell, and at other times injecting a vigor into the second unit with Pelle Larsson.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of spirited
Adjective
  • Co-written by Sandra Fassio, who also produced Night Vision with Yates, the film, which also features animated segments, gets its world premiere at the 30th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in Estonia.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026
  • There’s this desire, understandable on its face, to make the design and aesthetics of the live-action world recognizably similar to the animated world.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of animated
Adjective
  • The mood at Pleasantdale Elementary School was somber Thursday, as the school community grieved the loss of two students who died in a fiery train crash in Western Springs the day before.
    — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Run by the ever-battling twin brothers Patrius and Argentio Peck, the magazine is a fiery nest of secrets that Batter must learn to navigate to survive.
    — Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of fiery
Adjective
  • While the famed Jericoacoara next door is known for its lively nightlife and parties, Preá’s new crop of high-end boutique hotels and villas offers a more exclusive take on barefoot luxury.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • All of which leads to an ambiguous conclusion that might cue lively discussion among folks who stick around for the final minutes.
    — Joe Leydon, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of lively
Adjective
  • The rebuilt Big 12 is kinda spunky, but there’s no great tradition there.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The world’s most famous doll was inspired by a spunky, high-end call girl named Lilli.
    — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of spunky
Adjective
  • To imagine the natural world not as a passive resource but as an animate collaborator would be to reorder more than aesthetic categories, demanding another relation to our environment.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, ARTnews.com, 29 May 2026
  • Zugunruhe is the itinerant desire of any animate being to keep moving and growing.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 6 May 2026
Definition of animate
Adjective
  • On a brisk Saturday in October, more than 80 people try to shuffle into the small Corner Bookstore in New York City's Upper East Side.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Ticket sales have been so brisk that Center Theatre Group has already booked the show again for next season.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of brisk

Browse Nearby Words

mettle
mettlesome
mew
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Cite this Entry

“Mettlesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mettlesome. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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